Hourly News 每日新闻 2014-05-15

Mass demonstrations¹ over Turkey mine collapse²
Mass protests have broken out in Turkey in connection with Tuesday's deadly mine collapse.
Demonstrations have broken out across the country, demanding the resignation of the government of Recip Tayyip Erdogan.
Angry relatives of the victims have booed the Prime Minister during his visit to Soma.
Around 100 miners are still believed to be trapped underground.
The official death toll³ from Tuesday's explosion is 276.
Demonstrators say a lack of effective measures are in-place to curb⁴ workplace deaths.
The protests come on the heels of a move by the Edrogan government to scuttle⁵ an opposition⁶-led motion in parliament a couple of weeks ago to increase mine inspections⁷ in the same region where the disaster is taking place.
 
Ukraine holds roundtable talks without pro-Russia groups
Ukrainian government has held talks on the potential decentralization of power in Kiev.
The meeting is part of a peace plan crafted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
As part of the meeting, Ukraine's central authorities have crafted plans to address disaffection in eastern Ukraine by forging a decentralization agenda which might cede⁸ greater powers to regional governments.
However, no pro-Russian groups, who have already declared independence, have been included in the talks.
The meeting comes as the Ukrainian government prepares to hold a presidental election to permanently⁹ replace former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Pro-Russia activists¹⁰ in Luhansk have already declared they will not participate in the elections.
 
Fixed¹¹ date for polls in Thailand is postponed¹²
Thailand's interim¹³ Prime Minister says that the law has to be studied to decide on the feasibility of appointing a neutral prime minister - a key demand of Thailand's anti-government protesters.
Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisan made the comment after a meeting to fix a date for crucial elections is postponed due to security concerns.
He says the government is still in place, despite protesters' demands for it to be ousted¹⁴.
The government's opponents will probably reject a general election anyway in the belief the ruling party will win it.
The opposition wants electoral reform aimed at ending the influence of ousted former premier¹⁵ Thaksin Shinawatra before another vote.
 
Chinese FM discusses South China Sea friction¹⁶ with Indonesian counterpart
The Chinese government is calling for restraint from the Vietnamese side amid the continuing tensions in the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has reportedly made the call during a telephone conversation with Indonesia's foreign minister.
Indonesia is a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations, to which Vietnam is also a member-state.
The new statement follows violent protests against Chinese-owned businesses in southern Vietnam.
Anti-China sentiment has been on the rise in Vietnam amid the growing dispute over the Xisha Islands, which is claimed both by China and Vietnam.
The unrest began last week after Vienamese ships attempted to disrupt a Chinese oil drill from entering the waters in around the Xisha Islands.
 
Shanghai FTZ to see 1st private bank soon
The first privately-owned bank is poised¹⁷ to be established in the Shanghai free trade zone.
Shanghai-based conglomerates¹⁸ Fosun Group and Juneyao Group have been tipped as the first to receive the green light to open a private bank in the FTZ.
The China Banking¹⁹ Regulatory Commission is allowing 10 private companies to establish five private banks in the FTZ.
A division of the Shanghai banking regulator is going to oversee²⁰ the new private banks.
The private banks are going to enjoy a relaxed loan-to-deposit ratio.
The ratio regulates the maximum amount of loans a lender can extend based on the deposits it holds at any-given time.
 
 Mainland tourists bring Taiwan over 11 billion US dollars since 2008
New stats from the authorities on Taiwan show tourists from the mainland have brought-in a total of 11.7 billion U.S. dollars to the economy over the past 6-years.
Taiwan opened its doors to mainland tourists in 2008.
The island's executive authority says the number of visitors from the mainland hit just above 7 million as of the end of March this year.
The number of weekly cross-Straits flights has increased to just under 830 since regular flights began in 2009.
 
China Mobile unveils first packages after gaining pricing autonomy
China Mobile has unveiled a set of new payment packages for its customers.
This comes as regulators ease pricing restrictions²¹ on the three major telecom providers here in China.
China Mobile is cutting its monthly rates by around 50 percent in some cases.
The company is also doubling the monthly-maximum data allotments from one-G to 2-G's for the company's 4G service.
China Mobile is also allowing as many as 4 users to share one package.
Meanwhile, China Unicom is set to unveil a new set of offers on Saturday.
 
 Didi Taxi app eyes IPO to cement position
Didi Taxi, a taxi-hailing application, is reportedly looking to go public.
Beijing-based Didi says its looking to issue an IPO in the next three to five years.
Didi is a subsiduary of Tencent.
Didi Taxi is engaged in a battle with Alibaba's Kuaidi Taxi for market share here in the capital.
Tencent has already teamed up with CITIC for a 100 million US dollar investment in Didi.

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 scuttle   

v.急赶，疾走，逃避；n.天窗；舷窗

参考例句：

• There was a general scuttle for shelter when the rain began to fall heavily.下大雨了，人们都飞跑着寻找躲雨的地方。
• The scuttle was open,and the good daylight shone in.明朗的亮光从敞开的小窗中照了进来。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 cede   

v.割让，放弃

参考例句：

• The debater refused to cede the point to her opponent.辩论者拒绝向她的对手放弃其主张。
• Not because I'm proud.In fact,in front of you I cede all my pride.这不是因为骄傲，事实上我在你面前毫无骄傲可言。

9 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

12 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

13 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

14 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

15 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

16 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

17 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

18 conglomerates   

n.（多种经营的）联合大企业( conglomerate的名词复数 )；砾岩；合成物；组合物

参考例句：

• At the surface, radioactivity of the conglomerates is locally as high as 30 X background. 在地表，砾岩的局部地段的放射性高达30倍本底值。 来自辞典例句
• The conglomerates failed to understand that books could not be sold like soap. 这些联合大企业不懂卖书不象卖肥皂那样。 来自辞典例句

19 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

20 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

21 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制